The Dallas Mavericks continued their winning ways with a 125-118 victory over the Toronto Raptors, marking their seventh straight win. One of the team’s leaders, Kyrie Irving, explained the mindset that has fueled the Mavericks’ strong start to the NBA season.
Over their last 12 games, the Mavericks boast an impressive 11-1 record, with their only loss coming in overtime against the Miami Heat. After the win over the Wizards, Irving attributed much of their recent success to playing with a fearless mentality.
“We’ve just been playing fearless, and we’ve had some carryover from game-to-game where we knew that we didn’t play our best basketball,” Irving said. “We just knew that we had to cover for one another on the defensive end especially, and make sure we were getting all the defensive rebounds. A lot of games that we’ve been playing we’ve been getting great stops, but we just got to finish the possessions.”
Irving also emphasized the collective effort fueling the team’s momentum.
“These games have been going really well for us just because everybody’s eating. When everybody eats, we all do well, and when we play well as a team, we’re a tough team to stop.”

Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates with teammate P.J. Washington #25 after beating the buzzer with a half-court shot against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. (Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)
Irving highlights Mavericks’ roster depth
The Mavericks’ success this season isn’t just about their star players. The team’s depth has been a game-changer, with contributions coming from both starters and bench players. Irving praised the roster for its collective commitment and willingness to give maximum effort.

see also
NBA News: Mavericks star Kyrie Irving makes major Celtics' statement about the Finals
“We have a depth—beautiful depth, by the way, I’ll add,” Irving noted. “We have a lot of guys that are waiting for that opportunity to get in the game that are more than willing to sacrifice for the team on the defensive end and give everything they have. And then offensively, we’re going to get them open shots, so they just got to be ready to knock them down.”
Doncic shines in another stellar performance
Since returning from injury, Luka Doncic has been in peak form. Against the Raptors, the Slovenian superstar recorded his second triple-double of the season with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.
After the game, Doncic offered his perspective on the Mavericks’ impressive season so far. “Great defense, great pace, sharing the rock, and chemistry is the top,” Doncic said. “We’re just playing hard and playing fun, and that’s what we’ve got to do.”